UFC 300 Odds, Prediction: Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic

Prochazka lasted less than two full rounds in his UFC 295 battle for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title with Alex Pereira.

Rakic has been idle since suffering a third-round TKO loss to Jan Błachowicz almost two years ago at UFC Vegas 54, and spent much of that time recovering from a serious knee injury.

With both these fighters looking to rekindle the form that produced lengthy win streaks, this fight is pegged as a virtual pick’em on the UFC 300 odds, while the odds of this fight going the distance pegged at +165.

Jiri Prochazka UFC 300 Odds

Currently perched as the No. 2 contender in the UFC light heavyweight division, Prochazka is highly motivated to get back in the win column and justify a bid for another title shot. The 31-year-old Czech native claimed the title with a fifth-round submission win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 275, but was denied a chance to defend his crown by a shoulder injury that forced him to vacate the belt. While Prochazka was largely outclassed by Pereira last time out, he remains a formidable force considering his track record, which feature 11 straight finishes prior to his recent loss, including KO victories over Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes in his first two UFC appearances.

Aleksandar Rakic UFC 300 Odds

After opening his pro MMA career on a 12-1 run, injuries and stiffened competition have presented challenges to Rakic in his bid to take the next step. In addition to his loss to Blachowicz last time out, Rakic also suffered his first loss in the octagon to Oezdemir at UFC Busan, and has gone just 2-2 in four fights since December 2019. While rust may be a concern, Rakic’s striking power is not. The 32-year-old Austrian has seen nine of his 14 career wins come by TKO or KO including first-round finishes in eight of his first 12 victories.

UFC 300 Prediction: Prochazka vs. Rakic

This light heavyweight matchup could possible emerge as the hardest hitting clash on Saurday’s stacked UFC 300 card. Indeed, with neither of these fighters posing a major threat to take the action to the mat, expect a slugfest to close out the preliminary card. And while Rakic sports the tools to go toe-to-toe with Prochazka, his lengthy stretch of inactivity has to benefit the former champion on Saturday night.

Prediction: Prochazka by KO/TKO/DQ (+175)